


Clever as the devil himself and twice as pretty

by Toydog16r



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Con Artists, Gen, Magnificent Seven AU: ATF, Past, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Lives, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2019-10-22 17:19:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17666810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toydog16r/pseuds/Toydog16r
Summary: When Ezra finds himself drawn to a figure in his past, he must also face the consequences of a fool-proof plan.ATF universe.There is a lot of cursing, mature situations which includes references to some violence. A fairly dark story especially compared to “The Larabee Girl”.





	1. Meeting A.Crook

**Author's Note:**

> Recently I began writing a very different story about con artists, but I began introducing a certain reformed con artist and this came as a prequel 
> 
> Ezra's bit of french translates (poorly) to: In the shortest terms, yes my countryman and friend.
> 
> Magnificent Seven of themselves and do not belong to me

One

"Thank fuck for that."

The less than eloquent terminology for the ending of such a large case made Ezra shake his head, although he could understand where his friend and colleague, Vin Tanner was coming from. Team 7 of ATF had undertaken a gargantuan case which involved breaking into the dark web as it were, to try and smoke out some gun runners. Ezra had had a relatively low profile in the case beyond the normal inside-man job, which had closed the deal and he'd been arrested for. The shootout had been relatively peaceful with only a bullet to Buck's shoulder that he was playing on for all he was worth. He'd been downstairs, waiting for the arrival of some agents who'd been working the dark web from the other side of the Atlantic.

"Heads up, we're up for some inter-agency co-operation," Chris said, opening the door from his office. He'd been in there all morning, reassembling the fire alarm that he'd broken to smoke his cheroots in peace. He looked around the office. "Well this is spick and span. Well done, Josiah."

The others all groaned, as Josiah chuckled and shook his head at the small Bonsai tree on the windowsill. "Adds a nice touch I think."

"Never mind that me and Vin have been moving the office around," mocked Nathan, putting his paperwork to one side and smiling in relief that it was no longer a stack as previously. "What about Ezra?!"

"I've been supervising and providing moral support," Ezra replied, smirking and flashing his gold tooth.

"What've you done, except pass commentary about the noise that the vacuum cleaner made?"

"Exactly and I've skipped that in your chatter, you paper clipped most of your files upside down. I negated to tell you as you were so officiously pompous... as our kind-hearted profiler is fond of saying pride becomes before a fall." Nathan looked back at his paperwork before letting out a series of lucrative cursewords. "Neither am I a bastard, Mr. Jackson. I do believe, that they were in the throes of marital bliss when my birth was foretold. I've been my revising my frankly stupendous knowledge of the sinuous traversing of the beautiful vernacular that is French for our congregation with Interpol."

Chris merely raised his eyes heavenward. "I take it from that grand speech Ezra, that you speak French?"

"I merely consider it polite to learn my new friends languages, though I do quite fancy it adds a hint of class and daring to a conversation." He grinned. "Dans les termes les plus brefs, oui mon compatriote et ami."

"You're just being your normal jack ass self," JD teased, looking as his phone beeped. "Buck's on his way with the judge and the Interpol agents. Two men and a woman."

"Which came in first?"Chris leaned on the doorway, watching the elevators lights light up announcing the floors. “The judge announcement or the pretty girl one?”

As it happened, Buck piled through the fire exit door, taking a long shuddering breath and panting. Chris raised his eyebrows, used to his friends theatrics, before Buck began speaking. "F-B-I."

Chris tightened his jaw. That was an unexpected displeasure, and from the room he noticed the others sitting up and paying attention or rather assuming positions, mostly around Ezra. The man had been the subject of numerous rumours in the agency, and every visit from the rival agency brought renewed whispers and unfounded glares from newer agents – never mind that Ezra generally got the job done. He was an excellent cold-reader from his youthful days with his mother.

"Ezra?"

Ezra didn't look a bit concerned, and there wasn't even a brief tell that told the others he was concerned. In fact, the young man was smiling to himself playing with his cards a set of solitaire. "I don't see Mr Larabee, why I should facilitate their erroneous viewpoints about me in front of honoured guests." It was the most calm that Ezra had been where it concerned his former agency. "You'd better get set, first impressions naturally are paramount."

There was the distant ding of the elevator and the sound of Judge Travis's voice announced the arrival of the new group. As ever, Ezra's timing had been impeccable. He leaned forward in his seat

Four people entered the room, one being Judge Travis who was sporting a cane today which he leaned on for support. One was most certainly stock FBI, black suit, black shoes, black sunglasses despite the sun outside being dark and grey. A younger man stood next to him, carrying a laptop under his arm and looking much the same age as JD. A woman stood to the back, and Chris couldn't help but notice her hazel eyes flickered lightly all over them.

"Billy was practising with that catapult that you so kindly gifted him, Mr Dunne... shot me right in the knee with a quarter... now Emmy's got me walking with a damned walker." Buck snorted earning a glare from the Judge. "Don't worry, revenge will be when I'm doing the Christmas bonuses. Chris? If you'd do the honours."

Chris nodded a greeting to them all. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Chris Larabee, head of Team 7." A snort from Buck. "The snorter here is Buck. Josiah is our profiler," Josiah tipped his head to the group. "Nathan and Vin are right there...the technological whizz kid who foundered the idea is right here," Chris said, gesturing at JD who raised his hand nervously. He pointed at where Ezra had been sitting but had now been leaning forward in his seat. "And this is our inside man, Ezra Standish."

The young woman, who was following behind the group, paused and then walked back. Ezra was sitting back with a genuine smile creasing his face as he stood to greet her. Then she slapped him hard across the face. There were gasps from her team. There were lunges to him. But Ezra merely laughed then clipped her over the back of the head, the two not seeing the chaos around them.

"Bastard yankee-doodle-dandy Standish," crowed an English accent.

"Limey Bitch, Crook by name crook by nature," Ezra returned, smiling before the two shared a tight hug. "Hello, Annie." He looked up at the others in the room, still frozen at the switch. "Cheated me at cards."

"Told you before... can't cheat an honest man," the young woman turned around. "Sorry, me and Ez were pals growing up." She saw the looks shared. "Maude's not the only con artist to have a child... we often found ourselves in each other's company when both our parents found suitable marks to dump us on."

"Fought snakes."

"I still fight those Ezra!"

"So do I, it's just like role-play as your father used to say?" He laughed and hugged her again. "It's good to hear your voice, doudo, what brings you here?"

Instantly the demeanour altered and she nodded. "Well for starters, Ezra, I'm here to ask your young technological whiz to – sorry, I forgot my manners." She turned to the rest of the group. "My name's Anne Crook. I'm the head of the département d'infiltration in Interpol. This gentleman is Etienne Du Barry who heads the cybercrime unit." She gestured at the younger gentleman to her left. The young man raised his hand nervously although smiled at Anne, obviously used to her short tirades. She then turned to the other gentleman on her right, this time the efficient and gentle tone in her voice darkened. "And this son-of-a-bitch to the left is James Stamford. He's FBI's link to the Interpol agency." She smirked. "If I had my way, the smarmy bastard would be back in Atlanta where all the other rats fester... with the notable exception of this ex-FBI agent."

"I like her," Buck grunted to Chris, who was sharing a wry smile with Ezra.

"I'm glad you do Mr Wilmington, considering I need your young friend to help catch a crook - - pardon the name." She looked at the judge who nodded his permission. "Me and Etienne have been asked to refer with yourself. We have a gun runner who is well known but very tricky to catch... he's trying to make himself better known in the United States."

"His names Lorrimer," began Stamford. "We think that as he's a snake we may as well put Ezra Standish."

Ezra winced. "Now you've done it, Annie..."

The British woman had already marched across the room to the FBI man, and stood in front of him. "Stupid yank bastard, and I apologise t' the intelligent yanks in this room. That's an alias. He likes his movies... from The Sting. And if you'd read your brief when I picked you up you'd be read up." The man floundered. "And in case you didn't hear me, keep your fucking mouth closed. I've dealt with people like your lot before and I despise them. Now shut it or leave. Your choice." The man remained silent as she took a breath then stalked back to the others side. She looked at Chris. "The case made us sit up, Mr Larabee. We think we can do the two sides of the Atlantic... when in the EU or non-EU countries it'd be Interpol led and when in the US, ATF."

Chris looked at Orin Travis who gave a small tilt of his head. When Chris didn't speak, Orin broke in. "It's been agreed. And I don't mind telling you, Miss Crook's plan is foolproof."

"It should be," she glanced at Ezra. "Esther helped think it up?"

"My maverick," he snorted. "Started her young on the course of righteousness, Annie?"

"Well with her father being a good-looking reprobate let alone me, I thought it better, the way she thought this 'con' up was beyond measure," she saw the confused looks shared by the other men for the missing Esther. "I was a teen mum to twins... Ezra here is my daughters godfather... and no Ezra, she is not here. And neither is Caelan – as if I could get the twins to leave each other... anyway her idea was inspired." She bit her lip. "Now down to business."

Within ten minutes there was a projector on against the white screen of the office. Anne stood there, looking at the screen, which showed the black and white photograph of their intended target.

"His names Harry James Holmes. Small time gangster in the West End in the early part of the eighties, he married a bankers daughter and upgraded himself to a new crew." She clicked to another image of the man, this time showing him in a photo with the previous Mayor of London. "Became a tell-all celebrity gangster, one of the best cons I've seen in a long while. He managed to charm the world...or at least the public. He's suspected of dealing in the sexual slavery around Amsterdam last year. But nothing proven – same with gun-running. We raid – we look like fools. This month he's over in the US meeting several other gun-runners. This is where I'm hoping your dark web expert there will come in. I'd like to keep tabs on him, wait for the weakness as it were."

"He owns a lot of weight?"

"London, in his kingdom definitely," Annie sat on the edge of the desk. "He knows we are watching him, but with – please take no offence – ATF being a lesser known agency, we can put surveillance on him."

"If you don't mind me asking," JD interrupted the young woman giving him a patient smile. "How come FBI don't have priority?"

"Because I said so, Ezra and me worked a few cases and on the last one thanks to these idiots coming in twenty minutes too early they got three of my men killed... I don't want that again," she replied, picking up a glass of water and taking a brief sip. "I also need Ezra."

"Anytime my sweet rose."

"Shush, I mean to select a US undercover agent, considering that I've been plugging holes since I arrived yesterday morning... I need your advice, you know most of the best in the business," she said, hazel eyes flicking at Chris. "And that is before I've even spoken to your agency, Mr Larabee."

Stamford stood up. "If you don't want our agencies help, considering-"

"No consideration, get out of this building," snapped the woman. Etienne smiled and murmured something to himself. "Et, escort the gentleman out." The young man stood as Stamford floundered. "I warned you not twenty minutes ago it was your choice. Now you get to explain to your boss why you got kicked off the team."

Nathan looked at Chris who was sharing a wry smile with the judge. The young woman meant business clearly and didn't mind saying so, but then he caught Ezra's eye. There was a line of concern on his face as was on Josiah's. The two men were reading the woman as she explained in more depth, though waited for the ding of the elevator.

"What're you skipping old friend?" Ezra asked, quietly.

"I want you on the in Ezra." She looked across at Chris and Josiah before sitting down at the table. "So far, every inside man that Interpol have sent in have ended up dead or incapacitated for life. I'm lucky no one's made me yet." She sat back on her seat, and considered. "I'm setting Ezra up here to help make a decision because regardless of the circumstances, I need my team to believe he's chosen someone else. I don't want more death on my hands."

"Do we have an in?" Josiah said, sharing a look with Chris. There was still something else under the surface, but much like Ezra was hidden under a layer of bravado.

"He's a gambler... and there's only one person I know that could beat you at cards, Ezra." Ezra, at that, withdrew his cards and began to shuffle. "He's made a name for himself at them. Won a celebrity tournament last month in London. He's attending a party in a fortnight's time... he's a movie buff likes the movie The Sting"

"Fort-"

"Two weeks," Ezra corrected. "How long?"

"As my late pappy would say, it's the long-con. The man is fastidious to the point and that's where the genius comes in," interrupted Judge Travis. "For all intents and purposes if he comes sniffing here, it'll look like Team 7 are working other cases. Ezra's car will be parked in work from the crack of dawn – Francis from Team 9 will be driving it." Annie snorted at which Ezra glared. "Don't worry, I have heard he's a very safe driver. You two are of similar age and similar enough to just have a glance, you Ezra will be working from a much more luxurious office across town." Ezra leaned back and grinned to himself. "Naturally, some of the team will be with you."

"Naturally... there's something else?"

"I want you to be as close to the person you believe yourself to be, Ezra." She said. "The one that no one believes except those idiots in the FBI think you are. I want you to be the worst of the worst... and I want him to know your conman but pretend that you've pulled the schemes... like... the Spanish prisoner... he likes gangsters and he admires the noble art of con-work."

"That's how you got in?" Josiah asked.

"Only us nine, Esther and my boss in Interpol know this. Not even Etienne." She took a deep breath. "Holmes is a charming gangster..."

"Pity," Buck said, darkly. "I take it you're not attending that party, Ezra?"

"With a theme like The Sting? It's just inviting other bureaus and Interpol for the sheer irony, and I do not facilitate men like that?" Ezra huffed and flipped the cards easily. "I am set to delicately decline and watch when the FBI try and strong arm him. In fact, I may attend just to laugh at that."

"Neither am I," admitted the woman, leaning in her seat. "I need you to develop his CV, Mr Dunne, as close to possible as your real ones Ezra."

"Curriculum Vitae, Mr Dunne. My references." Ezra smirked.

"Sorry, I forget you yanks use different words to me," she smiled. "Anyway... even Etienne will not know... I'm using him Mr Dunne to work with you to build up a profile on the dark web... I'd also like to formally invite you to a huge conference GHQ is having. They are most interested in how you worked the Chavez case." Chris saw the young man blush. "God, you keep getting younger and more bashful. That's if you don't mind, Mr Larabee?"

"We like to show off one of our finest assets," Chris said, nodding. "Not for long?"

"About three weeks, it also gives an excuse for my visit." She paused. "I just want to make it clear, no one else knows. If this breaks it's on us. Me included."

There were solemn looks around the room, though the moment that Etienne returned, the group had returned to a questioning Anne. She'd wielded a book full of possibilities for Ezra to wade through 'for the best fit' before they'd gone off into the board room together. JD had sat with Etienne working out the best way to fit into the Dark Web for their purposes, and to build up a reputation, JD carefully omitting and adapting Ezra's chequered history, the two youngest members of the team chatting affably. The other two sat looking over the case notes, Ezra allowing her to rest her legs across his lap as she showed him paperwork, which he patted her leg in agreement with when she explained some ideas. Every time one of the team went in, there felt like an intrusion, not that the two seemed focused on anything beyond their work.

"What do you read about her, Josiah?" Vin asked, him, Nathan and Buck sitting in the quiet of the kitchenette their office had. "What's she like?"

"From clothes, professional woman, but loves her children. I'd say the necklace that she's wearing has a photograph of them in. From what I can make of her, and that's little, she's like Ezra, passed from pillar to post as a kid... thats why her and Ezra connect so well."

Chris walked back into the room. He'd been seeing the group off, although Ezra had asked his permission to escort his old friend back to her hotel room. Chris had agreed, whole-heartedly, not that he often did that for Ezra's mischief... but the look in the man's eyes told a story of their own. He didn't speak just went to the percolator.

"Who is she, Chris?" JD asked, as the older man poured some coffee. Chris raised his eyebrows to him. "I mean-"

"Anne Crook is Interpol's top undercover agent, worked her way up through the agency," Chris said, sipping his coffee and hissing as the mug lightly burned his lips. "From what I gathered from the Judge... she and Ezra were and are friends – they worked a few joint cases when he was in the FBI. Often played lovers."

"Played?" Vin let out a soft laugh at that.

"Is that what they're practising for, you reckon?" JD asked, innocently as Chris let out a dry chuckle. "What?! They could be? I mean they could go in together, pretending to be lovers... you know..."

"JD, they're not acting lovers. They are them." Chris sipped into his coffee. "And I don't need to be no profiler to tell you that."


	2. Team building

Two

 

 

“So JD will be staying at a hotel in Kensington?” 

Anne looked up from her paperwork with Judge Travis,  making sure the legalities of their venture still stood at Chris. The other men were in the bullpen discussing tactical odds, and  naturally trying to decipher what was going on between Ezra and Anne. 

Etienne had arr ived first thing in the morning, laptop under arm and eager to walk . Ezra had been late as normal, arriving the same time as Anne.  The latter driving a hire car that  Ezra had made a joke about from his prized Jaguar, Anne merely giving him ‘the eagle’.   Buck had watched the two, Ezra giving nods to the conversation while Anne talked more with her hands  and eyes. Yet the moment the two had  entered the office they’d gone their separate ways, Ezra heading into the conference room to make ‘a few urgent phone calls’ and to avoid Team 7 trying to get Ezra to admit defeat about his relationship with Anne.  She’d been nursing a bad head from her late night escapades, whatever they were. Ezra had merely stated  he’d been up  all night playing a poker game and the calls were paramount to the investigation.

“It’s one of the best and don’t worry, they don’t go after him.  They’ll know he’s just there on conference, I have no doubt the rat will b e already be researching that. Your man, Mr  Larabee is perfectly safe. Have no doubt of that.”

“Good. .. and please call me Chris? ”

“Chris , Judge... before we delve into definitely more fascinating matters, I have a matter of my own to deal with. And one I’d prefer not to share with Ezra.” 

“Seems serious.”

“It is. I started drawing this up before I went undercover,” she reached into her  briefcase and withdrew an A 4 pamphlet. “It’s my Last Will & Testament... I need witnesses.”

“You’re not planning to die on this operation, are you?” Judge Travis said, lightly. “After all it seems foolproof.”

“I have two sixteen year old children to consider... everything goes to them. But they both nee a guardian and that’s Ezra,” she said. She saw the surprised looks. “He is the closest thing to a father that they have ever had and will ever have. He will protect –”

“You don’t need  to explain yourself to me,” Judge Travis said, raising  his hand. 

“Not even Ezra... he’s a good man.”  Chris agreed. 

“A better one than most would expect,” she said, quietly. She handed the paperwork to Chris who read over it patiently, then scoffed.  “Con artists and reprobates... the name Crook hasn’t mutated in name since the 1700’s... so I have a long line of those who have saved me a few thousand pounds. I see no reason why their hard work should be squandered.” 

“I take it you were never maligned like Ezra?” 

“He’s infecting your language, Mr Lar\- Chris,” she said, smirking at him. “And plenty of accusations... but I had a boss who stood at my back. Not a bit like his boss. As it happensStamford’s boss, David Johansen. Right bureaucrat.” She glanced at her watch. “I’m expecting him in fact, any minute now.” 

“Ezra  know ?”

“Ezra knows all.” Anne intoned, opening the door to the office. Ezra was standing talking to Buck, the tall man nudging him. “Ez he’s on his way up?” 

Chris exited the  office after filing a few  room after clicking out of the box, allowing a small predatory smile at the transformation that Ezra and Anne had undergone in the brief few seconds since  they’d left the office.  Ezra was leaning against the table facing Anne, nodding her head at  his suggestions.  Chris leaned against the conference door, relieved that the Judge had gone to meet the FBI man. 

“And I have to say the deplorable behaviour of Interpol hasn’t shocked me.” Johansen entered the room with Orin Travis behind him, leaning on his cane – although it looked like he was barely restraining himself from hitting him with it. Even the calm Nathan scooted slightly out of the way of the Judge, though the other man had turned his attention to Ezra and Anne Crook. “Standish. Crook. Sounds like a bad eighties comedy.”

“Better than Johansen, sounds like a defector to the Nazi party,” bit out Ezra ,  . “I believ e you have noted several issues with my assisting with this case?  Hunting through your men? Concerned over any fractious feelings, I safely  assume? Or worried about proverbial skeletons in closets? ” 

“You’re just looking through and spying the competition. Everyone in the undercover business knows your bent.”

“Believe me, if my boss had his way he’d be in Interpol,” snapped Anne, not turning to look at him. “Told me so on numerous occasions, said what a talented...”

“Crook... how is your father?” he sniped. 

Crook smirked as she tilted her head back to look at him. “At least I know my father...and carry his surname.” The insult didn’t go over anyone’s head, and JD sniggered making Johansen snap his head towards him. “Now, now, it’s all fun throwing slanderous statements around until somebody pushes the buttons of you. What the fuck do you want?” 

“You kicked my man off the team?” Johansen said, with enforced calmness. A nod. “What for?”

“Pissing me off.” She jerked her head at Ezra. “And him. You know,  I’m sick of people like you pushing their weight around. You do realise I have more power in my little finger than you?  No, no, before you begin...I know we don’t make the arrests... but we’re the ones who organise it.” She took a  step forward, her voice glacier like. “So unless you want me to make a phone calls and arrange for each and  every one  of my agents to come in and leave you high and dry you have my total blessing to bitch about how I run my teams considering my success rate and my trust of Ezra Standish. Also , I quite like this ATF malarkey – they have style and panache. Everything I enjoy as a Crook. ” 

The FBI man stared. Unlike Stamford  who’d stumbled back, Chris watched the man squeeze his hands, obviously resisting punching out at her. The way he saw Ezra moving his arm, also showed the probability that he was preparing to protect her. “You do realise you’re speaking to a superior officer, Anne Crook.” 

Anne smirked. “You mean Direc tor... I DIRECT the undercover O ps for Interpol.” She smirked at his look. “You’ve just fucked off a superior officer. Now get your FBI ass out of here and tell CIA to piss off as well. I have better things to do than match you and beat you at a pissing contest.” She turned back to the paperwork before returning to Ezra, in a blatant look of dismissal. “So you think Jernigan’s good for it?”  A terse nod. “Okay, JD bring up his file – email it or whatever.”

She didn’t flinch as Johansen made his way, all the way complaining to Judge Travis who saw them out. As soon as the voices were a decent distance, she looked at Etienne. “Etienne, faites en sorte que Rossi et Dobroslka soient mis au courant de mes paroles sur ce bâtard du FBI? Je vous remercie.” She then turned back to Ezra. “He’s always a joy.” 

“Always has been since that gig in Budapest,” Ezra said, nodding. She sighed. “Jernigan’s a good match though for our purposes... and what’s this about Crook?”  A continued bowed head. “Christ, Annie I need to know.”

“You need to know, ” she huffed. “I need to know.” 

“Well?” 

She looked at him with less than genial kindly eyes , darkly. “He got out last week.” 

“And you know the first thing he’ll do? Go sniffing around where you are? Do you know if he knows what I look like now? ”  he asked . 

“No,” she said, turning from him quickly. .

“Annie, even my patience and skills are going to be sorely tested?”

“Excuse us,” Buck said, interrupting the two and smiling at the frowns thrown his way by the two. “But we’re not in the loop here.” 

“Were you ever Buck?” JD teased. 

The others all laughed softly with the exception of Etienne who threw a confused look, not used to the camaraderie that was openly on display. From Team 7’s collected estimate, this was the first time the young man had been in the field as it were. 

Esther shook her head.”I apologise. I have a slightly fiery temper as you can see.” She ignored a mutter about ‘Pompeii calling Vesuvius hot’ by Ezra.  “The reason Mr Johansen doesn’t trust me or Ezra for that matter is that we’re both children of con artists... mine a long line as is Ezra’s. But we were involved in bringing down a tobacco smuggler in Budapest... turns out my old man had a sideline. Blew the entire op because he spotted me when me and Ezra were...” she paused for emphasis, the team leaned forward. “Having a coffee at Starbucks.” There was annoyed groan from everyone but she merely smirked and looked around. “Think I’d best brush up on my shooting gallery. And no Etienne, I don’t wish to have company. Nor more than I care to with you, Ezra.”

“As I am fond of reminding you, mon ami, you don’t always get what you want.” 

 

*

The shooting gallery in ATF was juxtaposed to the swimming pool and locker room, something  which was widely considered to be innovative and strange. Chris and  Vin thought of this as they walked down to the gallery together. 

“ You going looking for answers?”  Vin asked. “I have a feeling that one’s going to be  enough like  Ezra. Take a while to peel back all the layers?”

“And still not go anywhere? Yeah, I know,”  Chris agreed. “But she’s made herself clearer than him.”

“Doesn’t put up with any shit anyway,”  Vin said, as they walked into the gallery. The woman behind the parti ti on wall and smiled. “Afternoon, Midge.” 

“Afternoon , Agent Tanner. Have you come to practise your shooting?”  she asked.

“No come to see the Interpol agent, Anne Crook?” 

“She’s just selecting her  gun fare , been shooting trying to select a gun,” she said.  “Seems she’s been behind a desk for a while in Interpol and is having some difficulty picking out a gun.” 

“Or she’s blowing off the last of her steam,” Chris said. “Thank you.” 

Anne was standing in Bay 6, separated from everyone else. Not that there were more than two other people in the room before Chris and  Vin walked in. The young rookie from Team 9 Marc Warren and Toni  Lupo , both were in weapon training. 

S he was raising the gun with practised ease, although  Vin could see she was weighing up the weapon really. She  wasn’t satisfied and she pulled her lips, studying the two  shots. “Gentlemen, please don’t consider going into the infiltration business, you’re as blatantly obvious as possible.” She looked up at them. “My shots off, think the weapons too heavy.”

“Just trying to work you out,” admitted Chris. “The Judge is doing damage control with the  Feeb’s .”

“They can hang,” she muttered, returning to her intent studying. “Not worth their salt.  Just in it for the glory.”

“Amen to that,”  Vin said, joining in her in her study. “How long you’ve been behind the desk?” 

“Three months. Art gallery gig went wrong, ex-Nazi’s... normal.” Anne smirked. “Now  why’re you here?” 

“Just curious with me,” admitted Chris.  Vin scratched his chin saying little but all the while observing .  “I see that Ezra’s often afraid of his own shadow stabbing him in the back, probably on the account of Maude.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t have that issue?”

“All on the account of Maude, with Ezra. My own father despised me, didn’t try to educate me like Maude did with Ezra... I knew he was a bastard and that’s it.” Annie said, as she tried the last gun. “Midge, do you have a lighter weapon? My shots off with this one? Excuse me.” She walked back to the other room, there being a small conversation as she returned the gun, and showed Midge her shots. There was a small bit of discussion before she came back, giving a small smile. “Ezra is the one person I’d trust with my own life and Esther’s... let alone Caelan’s... my son,” she added to the looks. “Just realised I haven’t brought him up as in a name... a rare thing indeed. It’d seem Ezra is more fortunate than me.”

“How is that?”  

“In mine and Ezra’s work, you tend not to trust anyone.” Anne said, holding onto the button that drifted the target to the back. “Not even each other. You have a good team, and you all trust each other, Mr Larabee? Oh I have no doubt Ezra is not trusted in poker games and those wagers of his but then I’ve known him since childhood and have the same issue. Never could figure out how he cheated at Twister.”

Chris nodded  as she pulled up the gun and levelled it at the target in the distance.  It was evident that she was testing her own shot .  Vin spoke now. “ Ye t you and Ezra trust each other?” 

“No choice, we were brought up the same way only ones who know what it was like... and believe me he doesn’t trust me as far as he could throw me on any given day. Just in a different way to the way you mistrust him some days.” She took put her ear defenders on before firing six quick consecutive shots, nodding with satisfaction as she straightened her pose. “I’ll take this, Midge?” She called through before leaning again on the wall and pressing the button for it to come in. “You’re very fortunate, Mr Larabee and Mr Tanner... you have the love and affection of a conman. A difficult feat.” She smirked and eyed the target as it came in. “As of this moment I’m still making my mind up.” She glanced at her watch and looking as Etienne stood by the doorway with JD and Ezra. “If you’ll excuse me, it’s lunch time so I’m going to call my daughter. You boys have some things to discuss. Etienne I need some of those dark web reports by tonight please?”

Chris shook his head as she exited and eyed the paper target, seven clean holes into what  would’ve been the head.  He felt  Vin’s eyes on him, calm and cool. “I learned as a little as you did.” 

“Then you learned a great deal,”  Vin said, quietly. Chris raised his eyebrows. “Not that I don’t trust you Chris, but I think its best we keep what we learned to ourselves.” 

Chris nodded. “Okay. How can I help, JD?” 

“I need access to several files for our candidates,” JD said, jerking his head at Etienne. “He’s being a right jerk... muttering in French because I wouldn’t hack in for him.” 

“My job is simpler, Mr  Larabee ,” Ezra flashed a grin at Chris’s growl. “Need a code term. Me and Buck have decided on a codename but a password for meeting between the agencies needs to be established... and Monsieur Du Barry please do not look so officious, I understand that you are jealous of Mr Dunne’s continuing success... especially as he has a lovely photo of the effervescent Casey on his desk.” 

“ Aussi intelligent que le diable et deux fois plus joli ,” muttered Etienne. 

“What?” JD asked, looking at Ezra for help as he chuckled .  Ettiene had gone pale now and quickly fled while Ezra shook his head. “What’s he saying, Ez? I understand he’s been calling me an imbecile all morning and then pretending he doesn’t understand me.”

“He just summed up me, my old yet friend, accurately and given me the code words I need. As smart as the devil and twice as pretty.” He broke into a second grin, the gold tooth flashing in the light. “Might even make a decent headstone too.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French translation that Anne Crook says to Etienne "Etienne, arrange for Rossi and Dobroslka to be made aware of my wording to that FBI bastard? Thank you"
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this story as much as I enjoy writing it - just a bit of filler.


	3. Catching Minnows

Three

 

“You know I could get used to these offices? Wonderful view... lackeys...”

Ezra smiled and stretched himself out on the couch that had been placed in his ‘office’ – a selected building which had been used on previous cases by the FBI but never by ATF. It stood overlooking the skyline of Denver and more appropriately within eye line of his normal offices. In fact, he was sure he could see Josiah's Bonsai tree if he looked hard enough. 

“Get off your ass, Ezra!” snapped Chris, as him and JD carried in a chair. “Just because you’re pretending to be a boss, doesn’t mean you are one.”

“Man never drowned in his own sweat, Ezra,” Vin pointed out, entering the room from what was supposed to be his office.

“A gentleman does not debase himself by engaging in menial labour,” said the Southerner with a smooth smile and closing his eyes. Somebody smacking his legs interrupted him and he opened his eyes again to be faced with an unimpressed Anne Crook, arms folded. “Annie.”

“Move your backside Ezra,” she said, giving him a glare. “Big stores take time and effort. And you’re not putting in any effort.”

He sighed and stood up. “What do you want moved?”

“Your ass. I have no doubt you read through your files?” she pointed at the stack of paperwork. “I’m not sorting it Ezra... you have to believe the bullshit yourself.”

“Spoken like a true confidence artist,” he said, smirking as he passed her by, picking up the paperwork. “I will read these in the privacy of my office. Sorted the car for yourself yet?”

She merely flashed him a grin at him as he passed her by. It had become a joke between the two agents of ATF and Interpol of the poor vehicles they’d had rented to them. Ezra had joked constantly and consistently about the monstrous car. Chris raised his eyebrows with amusement, but then turned to her.

“Is everything ready?” A curt nod in his direction, although she looked tired.

Chris knew that she’d been working late from the times he himself had been leaving the offices. He’d offered her a lift to the townhouse she was renting and had been able to get her into her trust so far as to allow this. He’d sat on the other side of the street, making sure she was indoors safely before he’d received a phone call from a beleaguered Anne, informing him she was not a child and that she could take care of herself. The, admittedly, hotheaded Larabee had gotten into an argument with him over their mutual lack of work ethic via exhaustion route. The next day he’d found a bottle of Shackletons whiskey. A blended malt that had tasted rich and smelt as good whiskey should. An undoubted apology which when he’d nodded at her, she’d given a small smile at before returning to her work.

“-the most concerning thing for me is the factor that Holmes is that he knows cons. Reads them, admires them... is jealous of them.” She shook her head and Chris realised that she had been speaking to him. “Knows his life is a con, but nobody is falling for it, hook line and sinker.”

“You think he’s going to see through them?” he asked, the young woman giving a tight nod. “He’s an expert at reading them?”

“A real legal bastard too. Believe me, I know of at least three stings tried on his secret brothels in Amsterdam... one got the one boy locked up in an institution for what he saw and yes I know it’s not the proper word Ezra before you start up.”

“You think so little of me?” mocked Ezra, walking by and grabbing papers. “If he comes earlier than planned, I think it best dear friend if you have the audacity of threatening me.”

“I think that you’re a pain in my arse, Ezra,” Anne snorted. “And probably everyone else’s as normal... but it sounds like a plan.”

Ezra nodded and looked at the papers with false interest. “Perhaps I need a word with the organiser of this scheme, behind the scenes?”

“Oh please Ez, don’t!” Ezra flashed an evil little smile. “It’s eleven o’clock in Lyon. Don’t be disturbing the twins now.” Annie pleaded.

“It’s not disturbing them and if you think they’re in the arms of Morpheus when their dear mother has flown the nest, you could rival Shakespeare for writing a comedy of errors,” Ezra sniffed, straightening his tie and walking off towards a conference room. “I will see you shortly, Doudou.”  

“Bastard,” muttered Anne, shaking her head behind the man and looking at Chris. “How the hell do you not shoot him? I mean it’s perfectly legal here?!”

Chris sighed, and nodded. “I just do my best and tune him in and out.”

“Must be handy. I’m going to check with Laura if she’s got her part down.” Chris smiled. Laura was a recently recruited team member of Team 9. She’d fitted the part of a secretary who Holmes could ignore down to a tee. Upon hearing of her youth, Anne had taken on a sisterly role. “If you don’t mind?”

“I’ll make sure everything’s welded down on my side.”

He strode off, looking in the offices. JD had holed himself with Etienne the floor below with Buck and Nathan should anything go awry.  Vin was sitting in another part of the office, in case more heavies should be called on. Josiah and Nathan  more visible. After checking Josiah who was making coffee in the kitchen (thank God because Vin had mentioned he might make himself some) Chris walked out and offered a slight wave down the corridor at Laura who nodded and sat down, looking impatient. It was lucky Nathan was standing by her giving her the final reassuring instructions though from the look that she was shooting him it was a small mercy that she didn’t have a gun. Anne, however, was leaning on the doorway of the conference room, wearing an almost loving and contended smile at whatever she was watching.

Chris joined looking from the doorway. Ezra was sitting back to the door on his laptop skyping a person. Chris could see the smile on Ezra’s face from where he was sitting. Occasionally he’d caught Ezra sitting in the offices at strange hours, conversing on the telephone, but he’d never cast any questions in his general direction. The man had enough of those from people jealous of his success, and if Chris’s hunch was right then a lot of that had come from Maude’s contacts had had a hand in these whispers. The woman had never been to accept that Ezra had become an officer of the law that she so brazenly broke and despised.

There was also the factor that he trusted Ezra implicitly and Chris knew if the man needed anything then he’d be there for him in a heartbeat.  Chris surreptitiously walked around to the back of Ezra but the front of the camera to see a teenager standing in a kitchen, which was dark. At least he judged her a teenager from the height of her and the youth of her face. The girl threw a curious gaze at the interloper and pointed for Ezra. Ezra glanced behind him then grinned, turning back around.

“Oh, this is Chris Larabee-” Ezra said, signing as he spoke. “He’s my boss.”   She waved at Chris, who tipped his head to acknowledge her, and she signed to Ezra. “Yes, he’s the man I told you about.”

“Didn’t tell us, Anne, your daughter was deaf,” Chris whispered as Anne rolled her eyes at more signing between the two although done in silence.

The woman regarded him with a frown that clearly read ‘dumbass’ but the words that came out instead sounded comforting and reassuring. “She isn’t. No more than what Ezra is.... they sign because not many understand ASL in the UK.”

“And we don’t want you understanding us, if you learned you’d be in the know Mum,” teased the young voice on the other end, Ezra chuckling.

“Keep laughing, Missy. I’ll see you Es. Make sure your brother doesn’t eat all the biscuits that I left.” She paused. “Where is he by the by?”

“Watching The Terminator, he’s said hello to Ezra already.” Anne shook her head. “Love you Mum, okay Ez... now...” the two returned to signing happily.

Chris shook his head at the happy scene and was about to pass a comment to Anne when the ding of the elevator brought him back to reality and she looked to the doorway and shook his head. Ezra stood at that also. He glanced at Anne Crook who mouthed ‘early’ to him. Chris chanced a glance at his own watch. An hour early... the man was scoping for a con. Ezra looked at Esther. “Darling girl....”

“Work,” concluded the young girl. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr Larabee.”

“Pleasure to meet you to Esther,” Chris said, quickly. The girl turned her own conversation off and Chris glanced at Ezra. “What do you want me to do?”

Chris needed time to build up a reputation to get into the headspace. He shouldn’t have been here; it was supposed to be just Nathan and Josiah - back up being Vin. Any rapid exit would look suspicious to say the least.

“For Christ’s stand there and glare,” Chris shot a look at Anne for the rude interruption of his question, but she wore a shit-eating grin.  “There that’s it, Christ Ezra it’s like looking at Maude that time we stole her poker winnings.”

“Borrowed without the intention of returning,” corrected Ezra, pulling his tie ready. “And you’re on my side, Christopher.”

Chris nodded, standing tall behind the shorter Ezra but when he glanced at his co-worker and friend he felt a shudder rise through him. No longer was a charming reprobate standing there but a cold-hearted murdering SOB that had only been a whisper in the wind. The internet history that Ettienne and JD had invented was nothing short of a masterpiece. Anne was looking as coldly back at him.

“I’m not to taking threats from Interpol. Especially in my own building,” stated Ezra, smoothly and nonetheless with all the Southern charm. “Not if you don’t intend backing them up.”

“Not threatening, Mr Stanhope, merely _warning_ you, professional courtesy and all that,” Anne corrected the man with a mere glance at Holmes that radiated derision. “Christ, didn’t know you’d degraded yourself to working with minnows.”

“Mr Holmes is a businessman.”

“I can think of other choice words, but as I say choice. Not slanderous.” She began her walk out, Laura rising to her feet at the end of the corridor. “And don’t blame your secretary. Poor little bitch even lied to say you weren’t in.”

Ezra murmured a few choice words under his breath as did Holmes, although quickly Ezra turned to Holmes and outstretched a hand. “Ezra Stanhope, pleasure to meet a fellow connoisseur of the finer things... and the worse things.”

Holmes shook the hand tensely. “I see you’ve met Anne Crook.?”

“Many times her and her boyfriend... oh what is his name Ezekiel? Esli? Oh the damn name will come to me later... ruined one of my better operations,” he sniffed. “Luckily stumbled upon shall we say  the olive oil business shall we say?” he chuckled then looked at Holmes. “Please tell me Sir, you’ve seen The GodFather Part Two?”

“Who told you I was a film buff, your friend?” Holmes said, suspiciously.

“Just thought if you liked the refined things in life, good films would be one. Personally I prefer the old Jimmy Cagney movies or James Bond, fighting the villains... oh the tragic irony as my dear departed mother would say.” Holmes nodded and showed the briefcase. “Of course, follow me. We have business discuss.”

Chris followed behind, watching Ezra spin the web and watched as Holmes became more interested in his yarn and as he sat down outside the closed door of Ezra’s office, even he broke a grin. His father had had a saying growing up in Indiana. Even a spider grins before it eats its prey... and Ezra had his in his sights.

*

After the meeting, Holmes headed down to his car and pulled out of the parking lot. A small smile crossed his features. Nobody trailing him. Anne Crook may be in town but her methods were focused on other fish, namely this Stanhope character. Something was lying between them and if he was to believed then it was to do with the gun running. He'd taken a risk coming alone but his mentor had assured him that there was nothing to worry about.

He pulled the car up to the sidewalk, smiling as he saw said mentor sitting in a barbers chair obviously finishing having a fresh shave, save the perfectly white moustache on the upper lip. His ice blue eyes caught Holmes's in the reflection and after one final wave goodbye, he stood and tipped the barber before walking out and jumping into the car.

"How'd it go?" he asked, as Holmes pulled off.

"Better than okay. Stanhope is fascinating, He can tell a good yarn, spot a bull-shitter and knows enough about me for me be to be satisfied it's business... don't trust him though."

"Safer that way. Southern Gentleman?" he asked, looking at his newly manicured fingernails.

"Yeah but noticed he has about nine belts for martial arts on his wall. Very proud of them too he was."

""You can be a gentleman and still not forget all you know about self-defence," the man looked out the window at the traffic, contemplating and calculating going on behind ice-blue eyes. “Anything else I should know?"

"Anne Crook is in town." The man's eyes widened briefly before becoming glacial again. "I'm sure she'll be threatening Stanhope again. Mentioned her partner is in town too?"

"Ezra. Ezra Standish though his mother Maude goes by De Braun now... could've followed her in the name suit."

"Do you want me to let her know you’re in town?"

"Oh no, no. I have my own methods."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, hoping you enjoy this chapter. 
> 
> The last person introduced I think is very much as this gentleman: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjjz9yatK_gAhU7BWMBHTkgDiQQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgfycat.com%2Fgifs%2Fsearch%2Froad%2Bto%2Bperdition&psig=AOvVaw00b4TEb93k_mAHQaacoNSL&ust=1549827659212598


	4. Keep your friends at a distance and your friends to your chest bone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> © The Magnificent Seven belong to themselves and all its characters are the property of MGM and its affiliates.  
> There’s a lot in this chapter of French spoken and I apologise in advance for my poor translation. Please find a translation below. Also a mention of violence/torture.

** Four **

 

"I don't understand why you're insulted by my suggestions?"

Vin Tanner chuckled to himself, and immediately regretted it finding himself on the receiving end of a glare of Anne Crook. He was here with her at the airport to see JD off on his training course in the UK, the rest of the team were doing varying things around the airport departure lounge. Buck was mother-henning the poor boy and checking he had everything. If the man kept insisting he put his spare money in his boot then the poor young man would be without his sneakers within the first five minutes of getting off the plane. Buck’s boisterous tone was not helping. Ezra, naturally, was not there but was sitting in the back of JD’s normal surveillance van, having hooked up with TSA to watch the goodbyes. 

“Shut up. You know damned well that I prefer comfort to trappings,” replied Anne, sipping from her Styrofoam cup. “And will you buzz off? You’re a real pain in the arse.” For all intents and purposes she looked like she was talking to Vin and if Vin hadn’t heard the familiar ingratiating tone of the southerner in his ear would’ve thought so too.

“You ever think Ezra that you might’ve been a fly in a previous life?” Josiah asked, from giving JD a bear hug. There was a snort through the earpiece. “Or perhaps some other type of pest?”

“A flea,” suggested Chris.

“Wasp.” JD added, though voice muffled by the hug he was being given.

“Pigeon,” suggested Nathan, though frowned at the incredulous look thrown his way. “What?! They carry disease, they’re known as flying rodents.”

“I’m glad to see you have a myriad of ways to describe me.” Ezra’s dry voice came through the earpieces. All looked to apologise until Anne began to giggle. “And you mon ami, what would you call me?”

“Pest,” said the fond tone. “But a nice one.” She looked at JD who was standing still now, looking bereaved. “Take care of yourself in London, Mr Dunne. And don’t let MI5 bully you or shanghai you into anything... and don’t get into a drinking contest with any of the SAS bodyguards, those boy’s will drink Absinthe on it’s head and still be sober enough to do handstands.” Anne shuddered dramatically.

“I’m not a dumb kid,” JD said, indignantly.

“None of are accusing you of being dumb kid, JD. Just of being naive,” Vin said, nodding at Anne’s thankful nod. “They’ll trick you for sheer fun and pretend to be your pal to get you in some sort of...”

“Heinous condition from which your career will permanently be a result of much hilarity and will cause no small amount of embarrassment,” Ezra said. “Take care, young man. That’s all we ask of you.”

* * *

 

Etienne Du Barry had worked all night. It had taken hours to build up varying identities, to tie up loose ends now that JD had left. His boss, Anne, had left him her car to use to get home while she had taken a walk leaving the same time as Chris Larabee, possibly to check out some leads. He never was sure. He’d been so wrapped up in those thoughts while entering the garage of his rental apartment in the twilight hours of the early morning that he’d not noticed the other grey car in the shadows. By the time he registered the danger and turned to get his gun, there was something in his neck and he was already blacking out.

When he awoke it was to pain in his shoulders. His arms were lashed together at the wrist and expertly hung through an overhead hook. His feet dangled a foot or so off of the floor, where the bucket he used to mop the place now sat.  He tested the ropes with a light rattle. No movement there. The ball gag that was in his mouth, preventing him from crying out, wasn’t going anywhere either, he decided as he attempted to bite through it.

He hung quietly for a while, having no other option. When he heard the door to the warehouse, was it a warehouse? He couldn’t be sure, he tried to turn his head around. The young man watched and through furious eyes he saw a grey haired man in a suit that befitted Saville Row step into his peripheral vision. It was definitely a warehouse.   

“You know, it’s most unfortunate that you found yourself in the company of Anne Crook.” He sat down, looking at him with ice blue eyes. “Most unscrupulous law-abider I’ve met.” He stroked the underside of Etienne’s chin, the young man flinching from the gaze, before he removed the gag. “Now. I have a series of questions for you and when I pull off the gag I fully expect answers about Anne Crook. Oui?”

“S'il vous plaît, monsieur, je jure que je ne sais pas de quoi vous parlez. Je ne connais pas Anne Crook." 

"S'il vous plaît, ne testez pas ma patience en anglais, je parle parfaitement votre langue maternelle, vais-je maintenant trouver ma patience épuisée par votre arrogance de grenouille ou allons-nous parler dans ma langue maternelle et rendre les choses civilisées?" The man said, picking up a cattle prod and holding it outward. "It is your choice.” "

“I still don’t know any Anne Crook, in any language,” hissed the Frenchman.

“Ah, so you do speak English?” mocked the man, smirking. “You know you remind me of a young man. Rather good young man from a Southern French family. Died rather horribly when he was tortured... trying to hide some information about your boss.” He leaned forward, holding the cattle prod over the exposed flesh of his armpit. “Now, first question. Is Anne Crook’s son and daughter here or not? Or even better, Ezra Standish?”

“Tais-toi. Je me fiche de vos projets ... et je ne vous aiderai pas à tuer ces enfants. Embrasse juste mon cul.” The Frenchman said, looking proud despite his situation. "Shut up. I do not care about your plans ... and I will not help you kill those kids. Just kiss my ass."

“Who says I wished to kill them? Back to French? C’est Con?” The man said, in mock disappointment. “What a shame.” 

Screams tore through the abandoned warehouse as the cattle prod was pressed into the ball of his arm pit. 

* * *

 

Ezra had decided that this long-con work was not for him. His mother tended to enjoy it, all the weddings she had had. She’d enjoy the ‘honeymoon period’ for eighteen months. A respectable amount of time at least before she would get up and move on to a new beau.

His long-con was definitely a punishment.

The other members of his team had decided that to suit their end, a bit of revenge for varying ‘crimes’ and had gifted him with several months it would seem of paperwork. If this was true honest living they could keep it. He might just join his mother in the South of France .He winced at a painful memory the place brought and quickly shook it off. He thought of his father as he thought of JD so far away, same distance.  _Keep your friends at a distance and your friends to your chest bone_ he shook his head. 

“Come now Ezra your father always taught you to remember for the best moments in people,” he whispered, closing his eyes at the memory. “Even if mother did try incessantly to get it out of you." He was grateful the phone rang next to him shortly afterwards. He picked it up. “Yes, Laura.”

“Mr Stanhope, we have a gentleman on the line for you.” Laura said. One of the ATF that meant, he knew.

“Thank you, Laura. Patch them through,” he said, lightly. “Stanhope.” He’d be grateful come to think of it when he could use his proper surname, what with this damn bug in the phone that Holmes had installed.

“Mr Stanhope, I presume.” Chris.

“You seem to have the advantage over me, sir?” he said, lightly. "And as I just used my name..." 

“My name is Christopher Larabee, I am head of a regional team with ATF. I’d like to request that you come in to our offices to answer some questions?” Chris said. _Come in, Ezra. There’s stuff we need to speak over._

“I have a very jaundiced view of life. From what I see most of it is corrupt, venal, and vile... and Anne Crook seems to think of worst of me.” Ezra said, as he picked at his fingers with a casual air. “I assume these questions have something to do with Miss Anne Crook?” _Is it Anne wanting me in today (by the way i really have an odium this manual labour affairs)_ “But if you want me to visit your offices on the basis of that woman’s flagrant dislike and harassment of my _honest_ business dealings – then let us meet in your offices. Shall we say three o’clock?” _I’ll be there, let’s test my luck. Again, I don’t like it at all this honest labour._

“Then I shall see you then. Sharp.” The phone clicked off.

Ezra hung up the phone and sighed, returning to his paperwork. “The devil is in the detail, Ezra my boy. The devil is in the detail.”

* * *

 

At half past two Ezra brought himself into the offices. He was handed a visitors pass which he took, lightly. He eyed the garage, spotting the Dodge Ranger of Chris parked next to that horrible little car that Anne had taken up driving. Soon he’d be out of the range of long-range lens’s, so he was relieved to see Buck walking towards him.

“Mr Stanhope.”

“Agent?”

“Wilmington. If you could follow me to the offices, please?” he said, genially and formal.

“Of course, sir.”

The two walked to the lift, standing shoulder to shoulder in silence as the lift door closed. As soon as it closed, Buck looked at Ezra through the corner of his bright blue eyes, which were lit with mischievousness.  Ezra glanced at him and shared a similar grin from the corner of his mouth.

“Shit pard’ it’s good to see you,” he said, cheerfully.

“It’s equally as night to see you, Mr Wilmington,” Ezra said, happily. “Makes tiring work being at work all day?”

Buck chuckled although didn’t speak all the way up to Team 7’s floor. “You do realise that work wasn’t supposed to be done in one sitting? It was supposed to last you at least a month?” he chuckled at the shocked expression of Ezra’s face. “Annie said you’d be as dumb as dirt and try and finish it in one sitting. Come on, the others are all waiting.”

Ezra watched Buck step out of the lift. “One thing I can guarantee you, I _do not_ miss being the subject of humiliation,” he called behind, stuffing his hands in his pocket then too-late realising that his pronouncement made him sound like a petulant child and his pose matched it. “Oh good Lord, I’ve not been in such a pose in many along year.”

“Ah but we’ve missed you,” Nathan teased. “Coming in late – say you’re early?” That made every one spin to look at the clock.

“I will have you know that Holmes hates people who are not punctual, so the damned man is dictating to me even whilst I’m under surveillance.” That brought laughter. “It was the least I could do to make Mr Larabee amend his times.” He sat at his old desk, eying the bunch of flowers there. The rest of the team, with the exception of Chris who it would seem was in his own office instead of the bullpen from the closed door. “Annie’s desk?”

“Said she’s keeping your seat warm,” teased Vin, looking at his screen again. “Seems you’ve got an admirer?”

“Maybe they’re missing his acerbic wit tied into his five dollar words,” joked Nathan.

“His actual loathing of manual labour and the fact he sulks when he’s been out-conned.” That earned a genuine green-eyed glare from Ezra in the direction of Josiah.

“Or it could be they just missed his charming as a rattlesnake,” Vin offered. “Even they smile before they bite you.”

“Yeah his evil little smile!” Buck joined in.

Ezra spluttered and threw himself back in his seat, only to yelp when he realised how low his seat actually was thanks to the interloper from Interpol. There was now general uproar in the office.

Suddenly Chris’s door swung open, the blonde poking his head out. “That laughter better be from utter shock and joy that all of your reports have been finished so quickly. Ezra, give me five minutes.”  The door slammed closed again, sending the men scattering to their individual desks.

Ezra looked up from he was looking at his absent paper work. “I really don't have an evil smile!” he chuckled then spotted the flowers.

“So Ezra, when are we going to get to meet your paramour?” Josiah grinned at Ezra.

Ezra leaned back against the desk, eyes furrowed as if trying to recognise the flower arrangement. “I would sooner introduce you to my twenty-year dead grandfather; he died in bed with a mistress Buck a death I thought you’d admire.” He frowned and examined the flowers. His fingers lightly touched the envelope. “And they’re not addressed to me just my desk.... they’re addressed to Annie.”

“Perhaps her kids’ were giving her a present?” suggested Nathan, preferring to think the best of people.

“Those mercenaries are more likely to try and rescind her passage home and send her to Timbuktu,” Ezra snorted, studying the flowers indifferently. Suddenly his body stiffened, eyes suddenly widening. “Last time they did something like this it was because they’d knocked a hole in the wall to get to each other when we banned them from each other. More fool us I guess.” He shook his head and opened the card. He scanned it over, eyes widening in horror. He glanced back down at the card then back at the card. “Ollie.”

“Ezra can we hurry up this visit?” Chris said, walking in and then noticing the dead silence in the room at the sudden change in the ex FBI agent’s expression. Fear didn’t even cover the look on the normally guarded face of the man they called friend. “Ezra? What?”

“Is Annie here?!” he asked, spinning to Chris urgently. Chris shook his head. “What do you mean? Her cars outside? I saw it when I came in?!”

“The car was here Ezra but I’ve not seen her around the office? What the hell is going on?”

Ezra had run out of the room and down the stairs, ignoring the elevator before Chris could get his answer. He picked up the piece of the card. “Read these flowers and think of me while driving home. What the hell is going on?”

Josiah examined the flowers more intently. His eyes flickering over them before they widened slightly. “They’re , orange lily, crowfoot, monkshood.”

“What’s got his goat then?” Vin asked, frowning as Josiah began to follow Ezra. “They’re just flowers.”

“In the language of flowers they mean... yes Vin don't give me that look... they have meanings... orange lily is hatred, crowfoot is for ingratitude and the monkshood promises a suffering death.” 

Josiah spoke that sentence as he followed the others in piling down the stairs, behind Ezra. They ignored the thunderous footfalls and the shouted questions by more health-inclined members of their Federal Agency. They saw the familiar car outside, the white sedan that had been the source of so much joking around. Ezra ran towards it, only as he tore open the door and the body of Etienne fell out half way.

“Christ the poor kid,” hissed Buck, looking at the body and wincing. “Looks like somebody used the old fashioned Tucker Telephone... just glad JD aien’t here to explain that one... let alone cattle-prod.” He looked at Chris. “Kid was tortured to point of death, don’t need CSI to tell us that...”

“What the hell’s going on, Ezra?” Chris said, looking straight at Ezra.

What he saw shook him. The chameleon and royal pain his ass was looking beyond everything that Chris could see himself. He was being transported back beyond something that hurt... and in a few moments Chris could see a kid standing there.

“Ezra, who the hell did this?” he said, softer this time. 

Ezra looked up with blank eyes that showed nothing and everything in the same moment. “The greatest con man alive is in town. His con name is Pontvin.” His voice sounded as lost as his expression – and if the normal Ezra could’ve seen himself he would’ve been horrified by the haunted expression. “He is the blight of the criminal fraternity. He has murdered friends and loved ones of my own before their time just because he could.” The eyes returned to the room hardening and hardening as much as the ice-green stones they resembled. “Paul Leonard Crook... the father of Anne Crook.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S'il vous plaît, monsieur, je jure que je ne sais pas de quoi vous parlez. Je ne connais pas Anne Crook." - Please, sir, I swear I do not know what you're talking about. I do not know Anne Crook
> 
> S'il vous plaît, ne testez pas ma patience en anglais, je parle parfaitement votre langue maternelle, vais-je maintenant trouver ma patience épuisée par votre arrogance de grenouille ou allons-nous parler dans ma langue maternelle et rendre les choses civilisées?" The   
> \- "Please, do not test my patience in English, I speak your mother tongue perfectly, will I now find my patience exhausted by your frog arrogance or will we speak in my native tongue and make things civilized?”
> 
> “Tais-toi. Je me fiche de vos projets ... et je ne vous aiderai pas à tuer ces enfants. Embrasse juste mon cul.” - "Shut up. I do not care about your plans ... and I will not help you kill those kids. Just kiss my ass."


	5. Questions more than answers

 

”Christ."

Vin blasphemed and wiped his lips as he watched the agents body being moved from the car into the black bodyguard. CSI were crawling the area. Chris was snapping into his phone some instructions while Nathan was talking to the EMT's that had been called down, despite the lack of hope.

"When beggars die, there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes." Ezra whispered, shaking his head at Chris. "Poor boy."

"Shakespeare?" Josiah asked, receiving a tense nod.

Chris suddenly snapped his phone shut, looking disappointed in every sense that it hadn't broken in his hand. "It's the sixth time I've rung and only got an answer phone?" Chris said, frustrated. "Anne Crook."

"Where the hell is she?" Ezra said, running his fingers through his hair. "She's always up this morning like a damnable bird."

Where there would normally be curious questions and teasing abound. It was easy enough to see that Ezra was not in the mood and nobody else was either. From what every one of them could see the young man had been tortured to death, efficiently and harshly.

"You don't think that whoever's done this has got there first?" Buck said, speaking his concern aloud.

"Doesn't fit the profile. He was playing cats and mouse with her by sending those flowers. He wanted her to see them, he's... Ezra?" Josiah broke off as he saw Ezra beginning to walk to the Jaguar. "Ezra?"

"I need to go. Need to go warn her."

Ezra was already halfway towards his Jaguar, keys jangling in his pocket and it was only the combined efforts of Josiah and Buck that stopped Ezra from getting to the car. The man began to wrestle them off, trying to keep the keys out of their reach but Nathan's quick fingers grabbed the keys from his pocket.

"You aren't going anywhere, son." Josiah intoned.

"Ezra, quit fighting!" Buck was less than enthused as the man thrashed, furiously. "It's like holding a snake on a damn bear!"

"You don't understand!" he wrestled with them. "I have to get to her!"

"The boy will have died for nothing Ez if you don't stop and fucking well think," Chris snapped, walking to him and forcing the man to look into his own green eyes. Ezra's eyes were wild with fear and panic. So foreign and strange. "We'll get to her. Don't worry about that. We will find her at least."

"You don't get it Chris, the bastard that he is here! He'll kill her then go after the twins! I've got to warn her." It showed he was in blind panic. No fancy words, let alone the thickened Southern accent. "I have got to."

"If you do that we blow the cover that boy has more than likely given to keep for you! You cannot go running in." Chris glanced around before spotting the innocuous van. "Nick, you need that?!" he called across to Team 9's leader.

"No," the keys were already flying through the air and were caught in Chris's waiting hand. "Bring it back without a scratch. Only had it two days and Luanne has said she'll kill me if it gets involved with you lot after the Buick incident."

"You're hoping with our team, Ezra lay down on the back seat," Chris barked, though he was, immediately, struck with how pliant the younger man was. It showed the desperation that he wasn't rearing against the elder mans concerns. He threw a blanket over the top of him. "Buck, in. Nate you stay here. Speak to CSI. Josiah, review the CCTV. Vin."

Vin was already putting on his seatbelt and in the passenger side of the van, pulling a baseball cap on and handing Chris his own. "Your lady friend always cause this much chaos Ezra?" he tried to joke lightly.

"Worse."

* * *

The drive through Denver was swift and neat. Any tails they may have had, Chris had lost and made sure that they seemed to be going about their normal business. He took detours to normal areas that Nick's team used – making it look normal. As normal as driving his damned car thinking another agent was dead – how that could be considered normal he didn't fucking know.

What did concern him though was Ezra. Ezra normally so verbose and witty was near enough silent. He'd watched the man wrangle a plan through his mind as quick as he could talk in that smooth Southern style of his. Silence was never welcomed. It normally meant he was on the defensive. As they pulled up on the street before the townhouse, Chris threw a cautionary glance at Ezra.

"Think you can get in without being seen in plain daylight?" he asked, softly.

"I could get Buck and Vin in, Mr Larabee without too much hassle. My dear departed father taught me that art," Ezra said, quietly before handing Chris a key on it's own. "It opens the door, the code to the door is 57721. Eulers constant."

"Good. DO as you say Ezra and get them in, I'll go the front way." Ezra nodded, as Chris gave him his baseball cap. He pulled his face and was about to protest - hell if he didn't Chris would start believing in pod people - but Chris cut him off. “I don't have nits, Ezra. One last precaution now go."

"Thanks Pard... I'll be itching like a bitch in heat," grumbled Buck, as he followed Ezra.

"Something you'd know all about," Chris muttered, walking up as calmly and efficiently as possible.

The three men walked off towards the back of the house, Buck loudly talking to the two southerners about his last dinner with Sondra Grissom. Both men, though tense, rolled their eyes naturally at his escapades. They looked casual, if a little irritable, but nothing out of the way. Chris took the direct route. He jogged lightly across the road, looking both ways and calmly making sure that he had both his badge and gun in hand reach. He knew which one he'd be grabbing first.

Chris opened the door to the townhouse, quickly keying in and then raising his gun already prepared for a gunrunner to spring around the corner. He stepped indoors, looking around the corners cautiously. Kitchen was empty and he could hear soft footfalls outside. He was attuned to them as his own breathing due to the SEAL's. Buck. He couldn't hear the other two, but then again as attuned as he was to those two as their boss – him and Buck had faced down an armed, angry and hormonal due to heavy pregnancy Sarah Larabee. They'd gone through hell and back. He raised the gun again just as there was a click of the gun hammer behind his head.

"Move an inch and I blow your brains out of your he- Chris?!" Chris span on his heel to be faced with Anne Crook. “What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same question," he said, angrily. "I've been ringing you for the last hour. How the hell did you get the jump on me?"

"My Uncle was a cat burglar taught me everything he knew," she said, handing the gun to him. "I apologise. I assume with you, a fly's foot hall, would be distinctly heard?"

"Don't start quoting Pirates of Penzance at me. I am pissed at you Anne, believe me!"

"What? For me getting the jump on you?" she looked around confused as the door outside for the kitchen began to click open. "For fucks sake, if you've fucked another one of my locks your paying for it and explaining to my landlord, Ezra! What the hell is going on?!"

"Where the hell have you been?" thundered Ezra, glaring at her. "We've tried ringing you?"

"It's my day off for paperwork, I turned the phone off." She said, calmly. "I told Etienne to tell you this morning, I took your advice on the car Ez... he can use mine until it's... wait why the hell am I explaining just someone should bloody well answer me first... what the hell is going on?"

"We found Etienne murdered in the parking garage of the offices." Ezra said. "In your old car."

There was a long silence as grief crossed the young womans face, she paled and then looked at Ezra as if for confirmation. The man nodded but remained silent once more, hands clenched at his sides. There was a twitch under his right eye.

Anne nodded and moved away. "Has anybody notified his family?" Chris shook his head. "His mother is in Crete. She's working a case for Interpol Art Fraud section." She looked around at the sombre faces. "There's more... what else?"

"When the hell did he get out Annie?!" Ezra demanded, holding her by the shoulders. "When the hell did the bastard who killed my..." Ezra's voice broke and he cleared his voice. "When the fuck did he get out of jail?!"

"Who?"

"Paul-fucking-Crook?! He left you the loveliest of notes... the same flowers he left for Olly at the funeral? You do remember our dearly departed Olly don't you? Well he's out."

"Ezra, he isn't supposed to be out." Anne said, eyes widening then narrowing into rage. "He killed an innocent kid to get to me didn't he?!" She headed back to the bedroom, quickly putting her hand behind the headboard of the bed. She quickly pulled a gun from this hiding place. "I'm going to kill the bastard."

"YOU FUCKING MOVE TO THAT DOOR CROOK AND I WILL BEAT YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"

The three other members of team 7 all froze. Ezra was genuinely threatening to beat a woman to a pulp. Genuinely. They'd seen the change come over his demeanour – a kind of dangerous arrogance that he always portrayed in all his chameleon roles. His own assurance that he would not get caught radiating off of him. But this was something new and something dangerous.

"You gonna kill me Ez?" she snapped, taking a step towards her friend. "You're going to..."

"If he is here, it means that he's found you. How, my best bet, is through Holmes." He pointed a finger at her. "Now you talk. I need to hear it. When did he get out, really? Johansen said it-"

"Johansen is wrong, of course." She took a deep breath, as Vin quickly took the gun from her. "No. Some technicality on the murder of Oll?" Ezra glowered. "Don't think I didn't fight, Ez! I did. But the bastard was ordered out of Lyon and he's watched all over the EU... last anyone seen him was Bangkok..." A frustrated glare. "You know how difficult is to keep track there? Nobody has seen him since."

"Just means he went undercover." Ezra snapped. "And while doing so he found a new playmate or rather protégé. How much says your old man is back in the snuff business? Does he know where the twins are?"

"Etienne left a false trail a mile wide. I've made sure they're safe, Ezra." She put her hand on his arm. "Believe me on that?"

"Why should I when you oh so carefully neglected to tell me that he got out?" Ezra jerked his arm out of the way, glaring at her as if she was the only one in the room. "Especially on Ollie's murder?"

"You know how much Ollie meant to me, you, you JACKASS!" she said, glaring at him.

"Would you like to try that in your other six languages?" Ezra returned, raising his hands in frustration. "You're a mother! You should think!"

"What the hell are you doing here then?! If he sees you..." she snapped. "You remember what happened in-"

"It was you he recognised then not me! And he certainly wouldn't distinguish me now. The last time he saw me I was no more than sixteen years old and going through an unfortunate phase with my fashions." Ezra suddenly seemed to realise they had company and that the others were trying to look anywhere but the small domestic that was taking place. He relaxed his frame once more. "Good lord... I have made a true fool of myself. Mr Larabee. Mr Tanner. If you would be so good as to accompany me back to my vehicle, I feel my meeting has gone on long enough with ATF."

"Don't hide behind the fancy talk with me, Ezra," Anne said, trying to step towards him. "Please, Ez. We're too close for that... Paul..."

"That murderer has murdered people I loved and have held dear. Directly. Indirectly. There are no odds to him. Not to mention all the other people that he's conned. The others that he has forced into prostitution and let's not forget that by far the most merciful thing he has ever done is kill his victim." The stance suddenly straightened and he took decisive step forward, glaring daggers at Anne. It reminded all in the room that behind the charming persona lay a con man who was a basic chameleon. Right now, he was the embodiment of betrayal and uninhabited murderous rage. And it reminded everyone that Ezra Standish for all his loveable rogue charm was an inherently dangerous individual. “I will not lose another friend Anne to this bastard. You're under house arrest and if you argue this with me I swear to God I will give you my mother your phone number and you can take it up with her. I'll be in the car gentlemen"

With that, he turned on his heel and marched out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, sorry for the gap on this. It's been a rough few weeks and my writing has taken a back step to everything at the moment.
> 
> I'm not especially proud of this chapter but I hope both my followers and everyone else enjoy it. Please feel free to leave a review :)
> 
> "When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."
> 
> Julius Caesar (II, ii, 30-31) William Shakespeare
> 
> The comedic opera that Anne references is "Pirates Of Penzance" by Gilbert and Sullivan
> 
> © The Magnificent Seven belong to themselves and all its characters are the property of MGM and its affiliates.


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